Society wants pharmacists to head pharmacy services
The Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) says only licensed pharmacists should be named to head hospital-based pharmacy services. "A licensed pharmacist can be held accountable for the quality of professional pharmacy services and operations," the society says in a position statement.
It said the role of head of hospital pharmacy services requires more than just budgeting, personnel management, and drug distribution. It also requires the assurance of proper drug utilization, implementation of safe medication use systems, and proper conditions for drug storage and preparation, which all require skills that nonpharmacists are not likely to possess. In addition, CSHP said, pharmacy leadership necessitates an understanding of the specific professional issues involved in hospital pharmacy such as ethics, law, knowledge requirements, and patient care.
"CSHP realizes that interdisciplinary care and close relationships with other health care professionals are critical," the statement says. "A pharmacist who demonstrates strong leadership of the hospital pharmacy department helps to foster the provision of pharmaceutical care by that department and, as a result, will help to improve patient outcomes.
The society advanced five rationales as to why a licensed pharmacist is best suited to hold the position of head of hospital pharmacy services.
1. The complexity of the medication use system necessitates a comprehensive and specialized knowledge base. Because of the medication use system's complexity, pharmacists must focus their attention on the interaction between complex drugs, urgent and often stressful patient care situations, and necessary communications with other health care professionals, the statement said. Moreover, the complexity extends to the number and variety of adverse outcomes of drug therapy, including drug-related morbidities, adverse drug events, medication errors, and medication misadventures.
2. Pharmacists are best suited to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a head of hospital pharmacy services. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists says knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by a hospital pharmacy service head cover a wide variety of topics, including practice foundation skills, leadership, planning, marketing, securing resources, implementation of programs and services, and monitoring. Successful management of a hospital pharmacy department requires a combination of clinical drug therapy knowledge, practice experience, and management skill. To be able to be accountable for the medication use process, heads of pharmacy services must have extensive knowledge, skills, and abilities of the pharmaceutical supply chain, clinical therapeutics, technology and informatics management, human resource management, and budget management.
3. Several provincial pharmacy regulatory bodies in Canada specify that the head of hospital pharmacy services must be a pharmacist. While there are variations across Canada in provincial and territorial pharmacy regulations, at least six provinces explicitly require that a pharmacist hold the position of head of a hospital pharmacy department. The statement said such a stance "reflects broad recognition at the provincial legislative level that pharmacists are best qualified to function as heads of hospital pharmacy services," and should be adopted across the country for consistency.
4. National and international professional practice guidelines recommend that heads of hospital pharmacy services be pharmacists. The society said that in accordance with Canadian and American guidelines for hospital pharmacy practice, heads of hospital pharmacy services should be pharmacists.
5. Pharmacists are needed in management roles for leadership and advancement of the professional of pharmacy. "The need to develop effective leaders in hospital pharmacy is becoming more important in today's complex and rapidly changing health care environment," the statement said. "Relative to the situation of just a few years ago, pharmacy practice now involves increased drug information, a greater number of drugs on the market, additional rules and regulations, more demand for services and improved quality, technological advancements, and declining hospital financial conditions, as well as issues related to drug shortages, drug recalls, and pharmacist shortages. Developing leaders at all levels of pharmacy practice, including managers, clinical practitioners, faculty, residents, students, and pharmacy technicians, is essential in advancing and promoting the pharmacy profession.
"Role models and mentors are also required for the health of the hospital pharmacy profession . . . . Pharmacy is an autonomous profession, and pharmacy services must be directed by an individual who is skilled and experienced in pharmacy practice. It is not in the public interest to turn over management of a professional service to someone outside the profession. Strong leaders in hospital pharmacy are needed to ensure that hospital pharmacy management remains under the direction of pharmacists."
(Editor's note: Download the CSHP statement at www.cshp.ca/dms/dmsView/1_PositionStatementFINAL.pdf.)
The Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) says only licensed pharmacists should be named to head hospital-based pharmacy services. "A licensed pharmacist can be held accountable for the quality of professional pharmacy services and operations," the society says in a position statement.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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